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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This is so cute. Doesn't have a major plot twist but is so awesome and cute
2.5 stars. There is nothing bad here aside from a couple elementary jokes, but there is also not much good! Maybe kids can see an amusing picture of healthy communication and family dynamics but unlike some other kids' books, this doesn't really offer anything for the adult reader. It's not even queer like I thought it was. It's very short though so oh well! At least the cover is pretty.
Beezer is a pretty cute kids' story that even adults can enjoy. I did have to overlook some pretty illogical elements (How does a financially unstable person keep getting approved to be an adoptive parent? What kind a library demands you have a library card before you can even enter?), but I still chuckled at the humorous moments.
Oh my god. What I thought was going to be an eye-roller aimed at an audience younger than me turned out to be an audio-drama deserving of 5 stars because of the vital importance of the theme and the suckerpunch of feels that pushed me under a bus without notice.
This review might be a little spoilery--if it can really be thought as so--but I’m going to break down why this is so good. I highly recommend you go listen to it on Audible to get the full experience.
Oh “Me” of Little Faith
I will occasionally listen--or read--a middle grade book depending on what I’ve heard about it or what mood I’m in. But I was hesitant about this Audible Original after Lee Bacon’s middle-grade, mystery drama, The Mystery of Alice, left me unimpressed and rolling my eyes. I understand that I am not the target audience for the age level of these stories, and I usually give the suspension of belief a wide radius knowing that. But there are times when the characters’ behavior will be unrealistic or an action will result in an unrealistic outcome. These stories are aimed at a younger audience. I get it. I remember loving everything I read at that age.
And though one or two moments of Brandon T. Snider’s Beezer had me take a step back and just kind of accept what was happening instead of overthink it (Beezer’s new, human, kid-siblings end up in real danger, but they defeat it pretty easily because they’re kids and they’re the main characters of the story. And there was enough bathroom/body humor that had me unamused, detached, and thinking this could end up as a show on Nickelodeon) the characters, the performances of the actors, and the theme won it all for me--not just in the end but through each act of the story.
Hell to the Mother-Lovin’ Yeah
I chose this as one of my free Audible Original picks because all of the other choices were either memoirs, crime/investigation, or science essays in audio format. None of which are genres I am even nearly interested in. I’m a romantic-creative that seems to be a small percentage of Audible’s outwardly, marketed audience. But because Beezer was one of my only choices it is now one of my favorite pieces of the year.
The first thing to get my attention was the concept. From the outside it’s a villain-learns-a-lesson kind of story, but the description was cutesy and I wasn’t sure if it would take the opportunity to give that lesson lightly--I was thinking more low-brow comedy and a “that’s what friends are for” at least--or it would be something special. And I’m a sucker for tropes where villain-types earn a heart of mush while still being somewhat badass. Gotta love those morally gray characters, right? Top that with what this audio drama really is: A metaphor for foster children learning what a healthy, loving family is supposed to be like after being disjointed from an abusive home life.
Beezer (truly Beelzebub) is a demon offspring of Lucifer (king of all evil, tormentor of souls, and ruler of Hell) who was created to rule by his father’s side. Beezer is rebellious but terrified of the constant punishment and abuse his father delivers when he disobeys. When he finally argues one step too far Lucifer banishes him to Earth in the form of a newly adopted, young, teen boy until he can learn a lesson on humility and respect. Beezer lost his power and is hellbent on finding a way back to “the Red” around the humility thing so he can rule by his father. But to his human family he’s trying to return to a toxic situation.
That’s what got me pretty hard.
It’s such a complicated and real thing that happens all the time in our nonfictional world. The foster system has a bad reputation and that is addressed in this audio drama. Beezer’s new adopted sister explains that she kept ending up in a lot of bad places with bad people while in foster care and wanted to return to a terrible home life because it was all she had known until she was adopted by Jessica, Beezer’s new mom, who has unending patience and understanding for the children she takes in. That doesn’t mean that all foster families are more dangerous than the home life of the child. A child put into foster care can be with the nicest people they’ve ever met and still want to return to the home they came from for several reasons.
Despite instinctually defending his human family a few times, Beezer insists that he hates them, that none of them understand and he just wants to go back. It wasn’t until it came to a head that I had to stop my morning makeup routine and just listen:
Beezer: "None of you understand! I'm not who you think I am. I come from a bad place. I'm evil, I'm broken--"
Jessica: "You're not."
Beezer: "I am! And I don't need you to tell me different. I don't want you--You're not my family!"
Later, Beezer makes the comment, “It’s not like they took me in because they like me. They don’t even know me. They’re not my blood.” Thankfully, Beezer realizes that the dynamic of his human family is much more rewarding and nourishing than what he was promised back in Hell simply because he’d never known anything different than the abuse he had received. “I am not your son!” he claims to his father and is rescued by his new siblings in the middle of a beating. Hell to the effing yeah.
Conclusion
God, this is a serious, and complex subject for kids and adults alike--especially if they are found in the same situation as Beezer. But this production was handled with an incredible balance that still has me chewing on how the makers and cast were able to address such a subject while still being funny, uplifting, heart-warming all around the mythos of a demon from Hell. The cast was amazing. I was a little annoyed with a few of the characters’ voices at first, but got over it easily. Fred Berman who plays Beezer has such a unique and perfect voice for this role and was able to convey a LOT of emotion I wasn’t prepared for. Everyone put their all into the performances and it punched the heart-wrenching message right into my gut.
With themes of discovering true family values, learning kindness, and letting go of identities people place on you, I consider this audio-drama a vitally important piece of literature that all should give a chance and listen to. You may learn something about yourself you didn’t even know.
This review might be a little spoilery--if it can really be thought as so--but I’m going to break down why this is so good. I highly recommend you go listen to it on Audible to get the full experience.
Oh “Me” of Little Faith
I will occasionally listen--or read--a middle grade book depending on what I’ve heard about it or what mood I’m in. But I was hesitant about this Audible Original after Lee Bacon’s middle-grade, mystery drama, The Mystery of Alice, left me unimpressed and rolling my eyes. I understand that I am not the target audience for the age level of these stories, and I usually give the suspension of belief a wide radius knowing that. But there are times when the characters’ behavior will be unrealistic or an action will result in an unrealistic outcome. These stories are aimed at a younger audience. I get it. I remember loving everything I read at that age.
And though one or two moments of Brandon T. Snider’s Beezer had me take a step back and just kind of accept what was happening instead of overthink it (Beezer’s new, human, kid-siblings end up in real danger, but they defeat it pretty easily because they’re kids and they’re the main characters of the story. And there was enough bathroom/body humor that had me unamused, detached, and thinking this could end up as a show on Nickelodeon) the characters, the performances of the actors, and the theme won it all for me--not just in the end but through each act of the story.
Hell to the Mother-Lovin’ Yeah
I chose this as one of my free Audible Original picks because all of the other choices were either memoirs, crime/investigation, or science essays in audio format. None of which are genres I am even nearly interested in. I’m a romantic-creative that seems to be a small percentage of Audible’s outwardly, marketed audience. But because Beezer was one of my only choices it is now one of my favorite pieces of the year.
The first thing to get my attention was the concept. From the outside it’s a villain-learns-a-lesson kind of story, but the description was cutesy and I wasn’t sure if it would take the opportunity to give that lesson lightly--I was thinking more low-brow comedy and a “that’s what friends are for” at least--or it would be something special. And I’m a sucker for tropes where villain-types earn a heart of mush while still being somewhat badass. Gotta love those morally gray characters, right? Top that with what this audio drama really is: A metaphor for foster children learning what a healthy, loving family is supposed to be like after being disjointed from an abusive home life.
Beezer (truly Beelzebub) is a demon offspring of Lucifer (king of all evil, tormentor of souls, and ruler of Hell) who was created to rule by his father’s side. Beezer is rebellious but terrified of the constant punishment and abuse his father delivers when he disobeys. When he finally argues one step too far Lucifer banishes him to Earth in the form of a newly adopted, young, teen boy until he can learn a lesson on humility and respect. Beezer lost his power and is hellbent on finding a way back to “the Red” around the humility thing so he can rule by his father. But to his human family he’s trying to return to a toxic situation.
That’s what got me pretty hard.
It’s such a complicated and real thing that happens all the time in our nonfictional world. The foster system has a bad reputation and that is addressed in this audio drama. Beezer’s new adopted sister explains that she kept ending up in a lot of bad places with bad people while in foster care and wanted to return to a terrible home life because it was all she had known until she was adopted by Jessica, Beezer’s new mom, who has unending patience and understanding for the children she takes in. That doesn’t mean that all foster families are more dangerous than the home life of the child. A child put into foster care can be with the nicest people they’ve ever met and still want to return to the home they came from for several reasons.
Despite instinctually defending his human family a few times, Beezer insists that he hates them, that none of them understand and he just wants to go back. It wasn’t until it came to a head that I had to stop my morning makeup routine and just listen:
Beezer: "None of you understand! I'm not who you think I am. I come from a bad place. I'm evil, I'm broken--"
Jessica: "You're not."
Beezer: "I am! And I don't need you to tell me different. I don't want you--You're not my family!"
Later, Beezer makes the comment, “It’s not like they took me in because they like me. They don’t even know me. They’re not my blood.” Thankfully, Beezer realizes that the dynamic of his human family is much more rewarding and nourishing than what he was promised back in Hell simply because he’d never known anything different than the abuse he had received. “I am not your son!” he claims to his father and is rescued by his new siblings in the middle of a beating. Hell to the effing yeah.
Conclusion
God, this is a serious, and complex subject for kids and adults alike--especially if they are found in the same situation as Beezer. But this production was handled with an incredible balance that still has me chewing on how the makers and cast were able to address such a subject while still being funny, uplifting, heart-warming all around the mythos of a demon from Hell. The cast was amazing. I was a little annoyed with a few of the characters’ voices at first, but got over it easily. Fred Berman who plays Beezer has such a unique and perfect voice for this role and was able to convey a LOT of emotion I wasn’t prepared for. Everyone put their all into the performances and it punched the heart-wrenching message right into my gut.
With themes of discovering true family values, learning kindness, and letting go of identities people place on you, I consider this audio-drama a vitally important piece of literature that all should give a chance and listen to. You may learn something about yourself you didn’t even know.
For a juvenile Childrens book it was pretty good. I thought it would be a quick, fun audio book read. I’m giving it 3 stars because I didn’t feel attached to the characters, honestly the only one I liked was Dash. I think a 9 or 10 year old would be intrigued and enjoy it more than I did. Sometimes I really enjoy younger children’s books, other times I’m more meh about them.
funny
fast-paced
I laughed a lot. it was a quick and fun book to listen to.
This story had a lot of potential. I wish it had been expanded a bit more.
I just wanna hug Beezer. This is a short but charming middle-grade fiction. Fully cast andbrilliantly produced. ❤